So you are probably wondering, how did I end up in the hospital or why is this blog entitled Korean hospital experience? Well the liquid courage got the best of me. I was on a trip to Seoul, with Nickole and my younger sister visiting. We had a blast and the
n I thought it would be a great idea to jump off the stage at a club that we were visiting. Not a good idea, since this the knee that I continue to injure. So, after falling, our trip ended real fast.
We ventured home, and I went to the ER alone, despite my fear of hospitals. I can't speak Korean...so I continued to cry and pointed to my knee. I think they got the picture. They took X-Rays, and messed around wi
th my knee...moving it in all sorts of ways that it did not want to move. After a few shots in my bum, they wrapped up my leg and told me to come back on Monday and see the orthopedic surgeon...my mouth immediately dropped.
So on Monday, I trekked over to see the doctor, he inspected the X-rays and my knee and suggested an MRI, which I had never experienced before. An MRI supposedly will detect, any cartilage or tendon damage. Once inside, I felt like I had entered a time portal. They had wrapped up my knee an
d put head phones on me. I saw lasers and heard loud noises....I am not gonna lie, I was pretty freaking scared. Once completed, my doctor told me to come back tomorrow to get the results. I was hoping for the best...but it didn't look good.
I came back the next day, and I could tell by the doctor's facial expression that the result was not great. I needed surgery. Apparently, it was a long over do surgery and that in time it was only going to get worse. The cartilage that was connecting my knee joints was disintegrating and losing blood flow and the tendons surrounding my knee were torn. I begged and pleaded and hoped that there was another way around surgery, but unfortunately, it was only going to get worse over time. So, the surgery day was set for Saturday...and I was not looking forward to it.
Thank goodness my sister was in town and has been in town, to help me recover. The big day came and I was put in my gown. I wanted to be asleep for the surgery, but it looked like it wasn't going to happen. The
numbed me from the waist down and gave me something to calm me down, because I was a crying mess. After about an hour or so of hearing my knee being pulled apart and cut open. I was finished, luckily the doctor said it wasn's as bad as he thought, however, I still needed to stay in the hospital until Thursday. Luckily, there is a break from school...however, I did not want to spend it in the hospital. However, sleep sounded good and laying in bed with nothing to do...well it did at the time.
I get brought to my room...thinking I am going to be by myself....I get wheeled into a room filled with 5 other ladies...all staring at me and wondering what the hell I am doing here...so of course they ask my Ko
rean friend later that night. I am constantly stared at and feel crippled, I can't move my knee...I need help going to the bathroom and taking a shower...I have never felt so useless. So the first day, wasn't so bad...I was mostly out of it and when I came to, my wonderful friend and sister were here. However, the next day proved to be something entirely different.
First, one is waken
up in the middle of the night and given shots, having their IV's changed and for me, having my blood bag changed. Then the women in the room wake up at the crack of down and have been waking me up for crappy breakfast at 8 in the morning (like kimchi and rice), lunch at noon and dinner at 5:30pm. In between these times, I am constantly given shots and pills. All I can say is that I am never going to take my knee for granted again! I want to go home!
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